The high potassium levels in the blood are usually caused by serious diseases such as kidney failure and diabetes type 1. Apart from being dangerous to the heart, this condition also has unpleasant symptoms. The most natural and beneficial way to regulate the level of this nutrient in your blood is to have a low potassium diet. It is easy to keep and is extremely effective.

As mentioned above the high potassium levels - a condition formally known as hyperkalemia occurs in cases of very serious illnesses. Having to live with one or more of them is a great strain, but with a lot of courage and faith you can really have a beneficial and complete life. The hyperkalemia symptoms are not associated with pain, but they can make you feel really bad and prevent you from going about your daily business. The fatigue, weakness and the nausea can make you be completely inefficient in anything you do while the abnormal heart rhythm and paralysis can cause much graver and permanent health problems. That is why you should take the low potassium diet very seriously - adopt it effectively and stick to it determinedly.

The benefits from this type of nutritional plan are many. The low potassium diet can be set up in such a way so that your body receives all the nutrients it needs for functioning properly. In this way you will not only get relief from the symptoms associated with high potassium levels, but will also make your organism strong enough to cure itself in the best way possible or adjust to living with the medical condition you are suffering from. You can accomplish the desired results in two ways - have smaller portions of food and more products that are low in potassium. The reality is that almost if not all foods contain some quantity of this nutritional element so your best chance is to reduce it effectively.

It is easy to create a healthy low potassium diet. You can readily have a serving of pasta or rice for lunch or dinner. The chicken and turkey meats contain small quantities of potassium and so does the tuna. You can also include eggs in your meal. From the vegetables you can have green peas and cauliflower as well as squash, lettuce, peppers, onions and cucumbers. You can cook any type of vegetables in a large pot of boiling water with only a little bit of salt. Draining them well will reduce the potassium in them. The small apples, grapes and most berries such as the cranberries, blackberries and blueberries are also fine choices. It is of great importance to take small servings of all these foods.

As you can see the low potassium diet is not hard, but even quite nutritional and pleasant to keep. It can provide for the effective relief of the symptoms and for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Making your dietary and cooking plan and starting today will give you the optimal results in a very short time. Take your chance to make your life better now.

Fear of death and dying are part of the human condition. What could be more natural than to dread the day when you will cease to function, cease to draw breath? Few people in our culture want to face the day when all their current priorities will become meaningless, when all their achievements in life will finally count for naught. Few want to leave their loved ones behind, with only corpse to remind them of who you once were–its resemblance to you constituting but a mockery of your previous identity. However, in some people, this natural, existential dread escalates into a full-scale phobia. Some people constantly, and fruitlessly dwell on the prospect of their own demise, to the extent that they suffer from panic attacks several times a day. Tragically, these crippling fears can even lead people to commit suicide. Some people have the idea that they need to “get it over with,” and die already, rather than continue to live a life dominated by dread and anticipation. These people need a way to stop fear of death from preventing them from enjoying–or even fully experiencing–life.

When Concern Turns To Phobia

When and how does a normal interest in one’s mortality turn into an obsessive phobia? What makes people transition from visiting graveyards occasionally (for example, during funerals or to pay respects to the dead), to wearing black all the time, listening to morbid “gothic” music, never leaving the house, and deriving no joy from social interaction? What causes people to always “see the skull beneath the skin,” to quote an early poem of T.S. Eliot?

The fact is, there are any number of ways to push a person over the edge. There are any number of reasons people can become overly concerned with death. Perhaps a person suffered through (or even witnessed) the death of both parents at a young, impressionable age. Consider the myth of Batman: the death of mother and father caused an ordinary person to become a violent vigilante, in an effort to fight death itself. Other people can become fixated on the idea of dying later in life. Perhaps they’ve suffered a stroke or undergone a life-threatening illness. They can’t get over their narrow escape from the clutches of the Grim Reaper. Their obsessive thoughts function like a self-perpetuating loop: the more they wonder about, and quail in fear of, the idea of their demise–the more they fixate on the idea, to the point that they can’t think about anything else.

Talking Won’t Stop Fear

Traditional therapy, which involves lots of talking and reasoning it out, is one of the worst ways to get rid of a crippling obsession with dying. It is in the nature of an obsession that, the more you talk about it, the worse it becomes. Plus, unlike the trigger of many other phobias, one’s mortality is not an imaginary problem. To be able to accept the reality of this problem, without becoming fixated upon it, people need to learn to change their thought patterns.

NLP And Hypnotherapy Stop Fear Of Death Effectively

The best way to change one’s thought patterns is through the time-tested techniques of hypnotherapy and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming). These techniques teach you to recognize destructive and harmful thoughts, regardless of whatever past experience has caused you to repeatedly think them. After learning to recognize these patterns of thought, NLP and hypnotherapy will teach you to dismiss them. That way, after a few good, lengthy sessions, you’ll be on the way to conquering your fear of death and getting on with your life.

Number 1: Face your fears. The most common mistake that people make in coping with their anxiety is to avoid whatever situation triggers their anxiety. Although you may feel immediate, intense relief whenever you avoid an anxiety-provoking situation, the long-term effect is actually to worsen your anxiety. Avoidance makes it extremely unlikely that your anxiety will ever decrease as long as you continue to avoid the situation.

Number 2: Be in tune with your level of anxiety. Try to catch your anxiety as soon as it starts. You will have a much easier path to feeling better when you intervene at the earliest possible point. For example, at the moment that you find yourself feeling a little bit tense or anxious, see Numbers 3 through 5 below.

Number 3: Know what helps you to relax.Make a list of enjoyable and relaxing activities. The list should be what YOU enjoy and find relaxing. There are endless options - take a walk, listen to music, take a warm shower, sit with your pet, imagine yourself on a warm beach…

Number 4: Regularly practice something on your list. Even if you are not feeling intensely anxious at a particular moment, you can help reduce your overall anxiety level by regularly engaging in enjoyable activities (not a bad assignment for homework, right?). Plus, the more comfortable you are with taking time to relax, the more likely you are to actually use your relaxing activities at a time when you feel anxious.

Number 5: Consider learning relaxation techniques. There are many options for relaxation techniques. The key is to do a little research online or at the bookstore. Find a technique that appeals to you. Some types of relaxation include, diaphragmatic breathing (or deep-breathing), meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and body scanning. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the simplest techniques that can be used whenever you feel anxious. Remember, like #4 above, you need to practice to make this effective!

Common mistakes:

· Avoiding everything that makes you anxious. For example, think of when you learned to ride a bike. You were probably afraid the first time, but your fear gradually decreased until you mastered it! If you never tried to ride a bike, then you would still be afraid to ride it today and probably more afraid than you were initially. The same strategy applies with anxiety. With each time you face something that makes you anxious - even just a little bit anxious - your overall anxiety will decrease.

· Waiting until you’re anxious before you try to relax. Rather, you should practice relaxing while you are relaxed. Relaxing needs to be a skill that you master before you apply it to your anxiety (would you learn to ride a bike on a narrow, bumpy sidewalk?).

If you do not know what is making you feel anxious or cannot imagine facing anything that makes you anxious, then your best option is to consider seeing a mental health professional who will help you work through your anxiety.

Because several of the symptoms of an anxiety attack (also called “panic attack”) are similar to those of a heart attack, the former is often mistaken for the latter. Chest pain is not necessarily a symptom of either event, but very often is, which is why so many people suffering panic attacks end up in the emergency room.

There are different types of chest pain, but not all of them are a symptom of heart attack. Indigestion pleurisy sore muscles, injured ribs, pinched nerves, angina and gall bladder or pancreas problems can also cause chest pain. The symptoms of some of these conditions can so perfectly mimic those of a heart attack, that only a doctor can determine the cause. Others have enough significant differences that you may not need to see a doctor.

The chest pain stemming from an anxiety attack falls into the latter category. If you know the differences in the symptoms of the two, it is highly likely you can determine on your own if you are having a heart attack or chest pains associated with anxiety attack.

Location of the chest pain is a good indicator of whether you are having a heart attack or anxiety attack. Chest pain from anxiety is located over the heart and is described as “sharp.” It increases with breathing in and out, and doesn’t usually last more than a few minutes. Applying pressure to the chest also makes the pain worsen. In heart attack, chest pain is located in the center of the chest, and usually endures for longer than 10 minutes. It is not affected by pressing on the chest and breathing is usually normal unless fear of heart attack or dying triggers a panic attack, causing hyperventilation.

Chest pain from heart attack feels like the chest is being squeezed or crushed, as if by an enormous weight or pressure is on it. It is more severe and longer lasting than chest pain from anxiety attack.

Anxiety attacks can cause chest pains because when one feels threatened, adrenaline is automatically released to prepare the body for flight. Adrenaline speeds up the heart and breathing rates and causes muscles to contract. You may experience heart palpitations as well. The chest pains felt during an anxiety attack may also be caused by the release of stomach acids and indigestion.

The symptoms of anxiety attack will positively respond to panic-control techniques. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises, switching the focus of thoughts to humorous or pleasant events or ideas, doing math problems or counting can all draw your attention away from the chest pain and other symptoms of panic attack, usually within a few minutes.

Fear of heart attack that is generated by chest pains from an anxiety attack can actually make anxiety symptoms worse. Understanding how anxiety attacks and chest pain work together and knowing the differences between anxiety chest pains and those caused by heart attack can save you from even more anxiety and unnecessary trips to the emergency room.

High blood pressure also commonly known as hypertension can be fatal if not treated. Hypertension is known for causing the hardening of the arteries and may get worst if is not addressed. What does all this have to do with a how to lower diastolic blood pressure?

One of the most important numbers in determining pressure reading is the diastolic number in the reading. It is the number at the bottom of the line when the reading is express as e.g 120/80. In this case it is 80, and the systolic number is 120. A lower diastolic blood pressure reading is preferable as the higher that number the greater the risk to developing hypertension, and becoming a victim to this silent killer is more likely.

Here are seven, safe and powerful ways to maintain a normal pressure reading.

1. Know your risk factors

Obesity due to over eating and lack of exercise
Too much sodium or salt intake
Habit of smoking and excessive alcohol drinking
Physical and mental stress
Heredity or genetics
Old age

2. Always monitor

You can monitor your pressure by using a sphygmomanometer and knowing the different ranges in the reading. In the list below note the levels of they diastolic reading - the lower number. Take a close look at how both the systolic (upper number) and the diastolic (lower number) increases as the level of hypertension stages increases. Again, it is important to know how to lower diastolic blood pressure in order to minimize the risk of hypertension.

Normal - 119/79 and below
Pre-Hypertension - 120-139/80-89
First stage hypertension - 140-159/90-99
Second stage hypertension -: 160/100 and above

3. Know the signs and symptoms Here are the most common signs and symptoms

Severe headaches
Fatigue due to physical stress
Blurry vision
Chest congestion
Breathing problems
Heartbeat irregularities
Blood in the urine

4. Maintain a proper diet

Avoid foods high in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat
Consume foods rich in potassium, calcium and vitamin c.
Eat fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and wheat

5. Lose some weight

Lose weight if you are 30% above your normal weight or more
Exercise regularly

6. Drug ad Natural Supplements

Use herbal treatments such as garlic, burdock or Hawthorne
Use conventional treatments prescribed by doctors such as diuretics, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers.

Finally, educate yourself; just by reading this article you have already started the process of doing that. The resource box below provides and excellent resource on hypertension and more importantly how to keep your eye on maintaining a lower diastolic blood pressure reading as indicated in the list provided above. Do not keep in the dark about this. This is the most important step to curbing this lethal silent killer, hypertension.

To your Health, live well!

Your pet has just been diagnosed with canine diabetes. Regulating your pet’s blood sugar levels is an important part of managing diabetes in dogs. Here’s what you need to know.

What Are Blood Sugar Levels, And Why Are They Important?

The carbohydrates in the food your pet eats are broken down into glucose during the digestive process. Glucose is what your pet’s body uses for energy, and it’s sent to all parts of her body via the bloodstream. It’s normal for blood glucose levels to rise after your pet eats.

This is when insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is released, to keep blood sugar levels from getting too high. Normally your pet’s body will regulate the balance between blood glucose levels and insulin levels on its own.

Blood sugar levels are measured in millegrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The normal range for a canine is between 75 and 120 mg/dL. It’s normal for blood glucose levels to rise after a meal, but they should come back down quickly. If the blood glucose levels remain above 180, the body will attempt to get rid of the extra glucose by excreting it in the urine. This is called a “sugar spill.”

Elevated blood sugar levels over a period of time will damage your pet’s organ systems, including her eyes and her kidneys. Diabetic ketoacidosis can result, which is a life-threatening crisis.

It’s important that your pet’s blood sugar levels don’t get too low, either. Blood glucose levels around 80 are considered low. If they fall to 60 or below, your pet can start having seizures and die very quickly.

How Do You Monitor Blood Sugar Levels In Dogs With Diabetes?

You can use a urine strip to check the amount of sugar present in your pet’s urine. Or you can use a blood glucose meter to measure blood glucose levels. Your vet will let you know which is best for your pet.

Feeding And Insulin

You’ll need to get into a routine of feeding your pet twice a day, usually every twelve hours. Your vet will probably recommend a low-fat, high-fiber food.

Insulin shots are usually given at mealtimes. It’s best to wait until after your pet has eaten to give her the shot. If you give it before the meal, and then she doesn’t feel like eating, her blood sugar levels will drop to dangerously low levels. In this case, you’ll need to get your pet to the vet immediately.

Insulin is stored in the refrigerator. Take the time to warm the vial in your hand before injecting the insulin. It will be painful for your pet if you give it to her cold.

Regulating Diabetes In Dogs Takes Time

It can take several months to get the balance between food and insulin right for your pet. The ideal is to keep her blood sugar at normal levels all the time. In real life, her blood sugar may get a little higher or a little lower during the day. The key is to prevent extreme highs and lows.

Can I Ever Stop Giving My Diabetic Canine Insulin Shots?

No, you’ll need to give her insulin for the rest of her life. There is no cure for this disease right now.

How To Prevent Canine Diabetes

Prevention is the best cure. Overweight pets are at high risk for developing this disease, so put your obese pet on a diet. Regular exercise will help burn those extra calories, and is a great way to naturally control blood sugar levels.

Many pet owners also use natural remedies for dogs to keep blood sugar levels under control. Research has shown that certain herbs and dietary supplements are effective for regulating blood glucose levels in pets.

Protect your pet from becoming a canine diabetic by learning more about natural remedies for dogs today.

There are reasons beyond what most people believe that may cause you to wonder “why do I always feel so hungry?” Most people assume that if they are hungry all the time that there is something mentally going on like not having any willpower or they are “emotional” eaters but what if it isn’t a choice. What if there are actual medical conditions that can leave you hungry all the time?

Thyroid Disease

Your thyroid is responsible for hormone production and metabolism a faulty thyroid can leave you feeling as if you are never satisfied. No matter how much you eat your thyroid will not send the satisfied signal.

Low Blood Sugar

Folks that suffer from low blood sugar or hypoglycemia will feel constantly hungry, because their bodies can not raise their sugar level enough to satisfy bodily functions. If your sugar is low you may find that you wake in the middle of the night to eat, or quickly are asking “why do I feel so hungry?” right after eating a meal.

Steroids For Asthma

Steroids that are being taken for breathing difficulties can cause you to be hungry all the time. Steroids increase your hunger. If you are asthmatic and use an inhaler that very well may be the problem.

Why do I always feel so hungry, can come down to an illness or maybe a medication that you are taking. You should work to find the answers, it may be a very simple solution. The main thing to keep in mind that until you determine the root cause you will continually be wondering why you’re feeling this way!

Calcium helps reduce constipation

Using calcium and magnesium in the right quantities can prevent or relieve constipation. They can support the health of your colon and keep you regular.

In your colon, calcium combines with excess bile and decaying fat to form a harmless insoluble soap, which is excreted with your stool. This helps to keep your colon clean.

Most Nutritionists recommend you take 1000 - 1500mg daily of Calcium. Because Calcium can cause constipation, it is necessary to take 500 - 1000 mg of magnesium at the same time you take Calcium.

You should space out your intake of calcium over Take only 400 to 600 mg each time. Also take some time-out when taking calcium and other vitamin supplements. In a month, take 2-3 Sundays or Saturdays of from taking vitamins.

Avoid taking calcium carbonate, which will reduce the times you will have a bowel movement. Avoid, also, taking calcium when eating foods that contain oxalates phosphates, or phytates. They tie up calcium and are excreted with the fecal matter

If you are taking a thyroid hormone, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, or antibiotics, calcium supplements can interfere with adsorption of these drugs.

It is best to take calcium around 2 hours before or after taking these and other drugs.

Avoid taking calcium citrate with aluminum-containing antacids. This combination has been seen to increase your body’s absorption of aluminum. Aluminum has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s

Calcium is safe for pregnant women and they should take an adequate amount of calcium.

The best calcium to take is calcium gluconate, orotate or aspartate. The gluconate type is similar to the calcium you get from milk and some vegetables. It is a gentle calcium and is easily absorbed by children and adults with weak digestion.

The foods to eat for good calcium are:

Goat milk, egg yolk, fish, lemons, rhubarb, cheese, skimmed milk, bone broth, seeds, dulse, kelp, greens, nuts, cauliflower, celery, cottage cheese, gelatin preparations, barns,

Magnesium helps reduce constipation

Magnesium, a gentle laxative, helps to prevent constipation by relaxing your colon walls when you are under stress, have anxiety, or have too many worries. It normalizes tension on colon walls allowing for a normal peristaltic action.

Because magnesium attracts water, you can bring in more water into your colon by taking magnesium supplements or by eating foods, which are high in magnesium. Water in your colon makes your stools softer and allows your colon to absorb water from your fecal matter if you body needs it.

How do you know if you are short on magnesium? You will get cramps in your calves at night or so called “Charlie horses.” Or, you will feel sore after some mild exercise or activity.

Take 400 mg in the morning and 400 mg in the evening of Magnesium gluconate, or citrate.

Jesse Lynn Hanley, M.D., in his book call, Tired of Being Tired, 2002, gives another way to take Magnesium to relieve your constipation,

“Take at bedtime. Begin with 200 milligrams magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate-you may increase the dosage in 200-milligram increments until your bowels move regularly. The dose for magnesium is individual, so begin low and increase the dosage as needed. Reduce the dosage if you experience loose bowels. Unlike irritating laxatives, magnesium does not create laxative dependency.”

If taking hypoglycemic drugs, magnesium may increase absorption of these drugs. It is recommended you consult with your doctor on the effects of magnesium with the type of hypoglycemic drug you are taking.

If taking magnesium, do not take it within 2 hours of taking any kind of drug.

If you have severe kidney or heart disease, you need to avoid magnesium and consult with your doctor on its use.

Magnesium is considered safe for pregnant women.

Foods High in Magnesium

Chlorophyll is high in magnesium and chlorophyll comes in capsules. These are some of the foods that are high in magnesium.

Greens, berries, wheat germ, grains, nuts, cornmeal, apples, apricots, oats, pears, pecans, spinach, tofu, lentils, honey, fish, cabbage, avocados, cashews, peas, prunes, soy milk, chard

You can see that calcium and magnesium is not just for bone building and acid neutralization, but it is also good for constipation prevention and relief.

First of all we need to know what causes a sore throat???

A sore throat can be caused by:

1. Common viruses, and even the viruses that cause mononucleosis (mono) and the flu, can cause a sore throat. Some viruses can also produce blisters in the mouth and throat (”aphthous stomatitis”).

2. After treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immune-compromising medications may be due to Candida, commonly known as “thrush.”

3. Sinus drainage (post nasal drip) may cause a sore throat.

4. It can also be caused by bacteria. The two most common bacteria are Streptococcus (which causes strep throat) and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Arcanobacterium causes sore throats mainly in young adults and is sometimes associated with a fine red rash.

However more than 90% of the time it is caused by a virus(see #1 above). These viruses are highly contagious and spread quickly, especially in winter. The body builds antibodies that destroy the virus,however the process may take a week or two. So it it very important that you take action fast. You see I had sore throat before and I know it is one of the most painful feeling you can imagine. Just to think that you can’t even swallow you saliva without feeling like a rock is forcing its way down your throat, literally. And the funny thing is you never knew you had so much saliva- you get the picture? I know you do.

Oftentimes this condition is one of the first symptoms of our body’s fight against the common cold or flu which maybe due to the change of temperature, exposure to cold, or just by drinking some beverage that is extremely cold.

So How Do You Know If You Have A Sore Throat?

How To Detect If You Really Have This Condition: If you have problems like: read area in your throat, or pain when you swallow, cough, and for children, diarrhea, you definitely have a sore throat. More other symptoms may include redness all around one’ s mouth.

There are many ways of helping the body in dealing with infections. Home remedies for sore throat are various and they include many aspects: diet, natural antiseptics, natural analgesics or natural antibacterial cures. Used appropriately, home remedies for strep throat can speed up the process of healing by fighting bacteria and by stimulating the immune system of the body.

24 Hour Safe Natural Home Remedy

1. Warm one cup of water and add half tea spoon of salt. Be sure that the water is not too hot to burn you. Mix out the salt until it is almost dissolved.

2. Rinse your mouth and gargle your throat with the salt water solution in the same way you would with a mouth wash. Do this 3 - 4 times.

3. Another effective remedy to end you problem in 24 hours is mango bark. You can mix a small amount with water and gargle several times.

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica; ackee and saltfish is the national dish.  The ackee tree grows in various places in the world where it has many non-edible uses but it appears to be used for food only in Jamaica.  

Ackee trees originated from West Africa in the 1700s aboard slave ships. Its botanical name is Blighia sapida, named for Captain William Bligh who introduced this strange plant to England in the 18th century. The whole ackee fruit is not edible because the unripe fruit contains toxins. The outer skin of an ackee starts off as a yellowish-green color and turns red as it ripens. When ripe, the ackee breaks open naturally while still on the tree. Inside this unusual fruit are three very large shiny black seeds, each surrounded by a creamy yellow “aril” (almost like a fleshy bag covering each seed).  These fleshy arils are the only part of the fruit you can eat.    

Once ripe, the big shiny seeds are thrown away along with the outer part of the ackee. The remaining golden arils are then carefully cleaned, boiled and cooked properly. Usually you will find it sauteed with onions, tomatoes and dried, salted codfish to create Jamaica’s delicious national dish, ackee and saltfish. This is a Sunday breakfast favorite, often served with roasted breadfruit and, if you didn’t know better, looks almost like scrambled eggs on your plate!  

If eaten before it’s ripe, ackee is poisonous. It contains Hypoglycins A & B which can cause what is known as Jamaican Vomiting Sickness, a type of fatal hypoglycemia which triggers vomiting and seizures. This is quite rare, however, because Jamaicans know how to properly harvest and prepare ackee! And, in fact, ackee is very nutritious. It contains a lot of protein, unsaturated fats, and is rich in essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamin A.

If you just can’t get to Jamaica to enjoy this beloved delicacy, canned ackee is a major export of Jamaica, at more than US$10 million in value, and remains popular in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and wherever there are large communities of Jamaicans. While U.S. imports were banned for many years, the FDA now certifies ackee processors and carefully inspects their final product. Jamaica’s processing plants vigilantly monitor the quality, ripeness and hypoglycin levels of the fruit they purchase from growers.  Today, Jamaica has competition from Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida, and other Caribbean islands that have recognized the nutritional value of the fruit as well as its mounting value as an export product.